Headlines from China: CAA to Rep Peter Chan’s We Pictures

CAA China has signed on to represent We Pictures, a film production and distribution company founded by renowned Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan. CAA China will assist We Pictures with branding, IP and content development, and international sales and distribution. Chan’s directorial works include classic romantic drama films, such as Comrades, Almost A Love Story and Perhaps Love, as well as box office hits, such as The Warlords and American Dreams in China. Chan has also worked as a film producer on films such as Soul Mate and Dearest. Read more on Mtime

China Plans to Build 80, 000 Movie Screens by 2020

On December 11, China’s Film Bureau announced the “Opinions on Accelerating the Cinema Construction and Promoting the Prosperity of the Film Market,” setting the goal of constructing 80,000 movie screens nationwide by 2020. According to the “Opinions,” cinemas can receive up to a 20-percent subsidy to help acquire advanced equipment, such as IMAX screens and laser projectors, with a maximum of $72,385 (RMB 500,000) per cinema. For newly-built or renovated cinemas in county towns in China’s central-western regions, the maximum subsidy is $43,431 and $28,954 (RMB 300,000 and RMB 200,000) respectively. The announcement also encourages cinema chain operators to expand via mergers and acquisitions. In addition, film authorities will continue to provide financial support to “People’s Cinema Line,” Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas, and “Campus Cinema Line.” Read more on NBD Movies

It’s announced today that 2018 American sports drama film Creed II has been scheduled to release in Chinese theaters on January 4, 2019. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, the film is a sequel to Creed and the 8th installment in the Rocky film series. Sylvester Stallone not only stars in the film but also co-wrote the script with Juel Taylor. In a recent social media post, Stallone announced that Creed II would be his last Rocky film. Read more on Mtime

China Film Insider reports on and writes about the people and companies making movies that soon may help to bridge the gaps in understanding between China, the United States, and the rest of the world. We work in Beijing, Los Angeles, and New York.